If I asked you to describe your home, what words would you use? You might tell say it’s an apartment, a cottage, or a townhouse. You might describe how it looks or where it is located. But what if I asked you to describe your home’s personality?

Every home has one. Some feel warm, friendly and supportive. Others can feel heavy or unsettled. Just like people, homes hold on to memories and emotions. When you walk through the door, you can sense it straight away, that feeling of calm and ease, or tension and clutter.

Our homes mirror us. When we are stressed, they often reflect that through clutter, noise or disorganisation. When we are content, they feel lighter and more balanced. The energy within your home, known as Chi in Feng Shui, connects to your own energy. The wonderful thing is that when you change one, you change the other.

The Power of Energy

Energy gently moves through your home. When it flows freely, you feel clear, creative and supported. When it is blocked through clutter, neglect or simply too much going on, you might feel stuck or overwhelmed.

Small, thoughtful changes can make a big difference. Decluttering a corner, adding light to a dark space, or creating somewhere quiet to sit all help energy move again. When your surroundings feel calm and supportive, life tends to follow suit.

Your Home, Your Mirror

Everything in your home tells part of your story. The colours, the objects, even the things you keep tucked away all reflect where you have been and what you have experienced. Sometimes our homes hold on to older versions of us, perhaps from before a change, a loss, or a new chapter began.

As you grow, your home needs to grow with you. When you start to shift the energy, you give your space permission to catch up with who you are now and who you are becoming.

When your surroundings reflect how you want to feel - calm, inspired, confident or free, then life begins to move more easily. You start to see things more clearly, feel more connected, and notice that life begins to fall gently into place.

Where to Start

The great news is that if you feel your home is out of balance, you don’t have to redesign everything. Start with small steps. These simple shifts open space for calm to return.

1. Start at the front door

This is where new energy enters. Clear away shoes, bags or clutter and open the door wide each morning to welcome fresh air and light.

2. Choose one area

We all have that space that feels stuck. Spend ten minutes decluttering it, wipe down surfaces and open the window. Notice how lighter it feels.

3. Bring in light

Light instantly lifts mood and flow. Clean the windows, pull back the curtains or add a soft lamp in the evening to create warmth and calm.

4. Add life

Plants, flowers or even a bowl of fruit bring vibrancy to your home. They remind you that your space, like you, is alive and growing.

5. Create a calm corner

Even in a busy house, find one spot that feels peaceful. Keep it tidy, light a candle or place something meaningful there. Let it be your daily reset point.

A Home That Reflects You

Your home doesn’t need to be perfect, it just needs to feel like you. When the energy in your space is balanced, it supports your health, your relationships and your mindset. Start with one small change and you will feel it ripple through everything else.

When your home feels calm, you do too. And that is where transformation begins, one space, one intention, one beautiful ripple at a time.

By Kimberley Gallagher, author of The Calm and Happy Home

The post You Can Change Your Life by Changing the Energy in Your Home – By Kimberley Gallagher appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

Initially, what moved me to create the Unicorn Path is the sweet song “Chloe the Unicorn”. It was a song for my friend's child. I wanted to create a Unicorn Deck for Watkins to further honour “Chloe the Unicorn” tune! Happily, this deck was born.

Some weeks after beginning the deck I suffered an aneurysm. The Unicorns I was working on came to me during the first few days, like a dream. In a magical and miraculous way, this experience of knowing they were with me and giving me motivation on so many planes to just keep my faith that I would able to bring them into the world from my imagination.

They are guardians - magical and miraculous healers. Their wisdom and playfulness too, were inspiration in my recovery.  They are so many things: I see them as amulets, as talismans, even as medicine. Their horn holds the power as they come into our lives and transform us with their physical presence, their awareness of human suffering.

The Unicorn's presence is of spirit, it is possible to see them with spiritual eyes similar to what we know as the light of spirit. The more I created this deck and worked with them, the more I realised their knowledge in many dimensions, and across the globe in libraries one can discover how they have been with humans for centuries.

This deck is a map of sorts.  Music, Art, Poetry and Science. The Unicorns bring these and from North, South, East and West. They come from the mountains, the water, the night sky, the deserts, travel on the winds, and through woodlands and deep forests.  Across continents there are Unicorn legends and sagas. I am motivated to carry on after completing the deck, to tell the endless stories they bring and how they come into life serendipitous.

Thank you Unicorns and the sweet song “Chloe the Unicorn” for your presence in my life and all that you bring and give.

Daniela's Unicorn Oracle is available to order now. 
See what magic the Unicorns can bring into your life.

The post The Story Behind The Unicorns – Daniela Forster appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

In many spiritual traditions around the world, the end of October marks a special moment. The veil between worlds becomes thinner. It is the time of Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”), the Celtic New Year, celebrated by ancient European peoples as the close of one cycle and the beginning of another. It is when time stands still and the invisible draws near the ancestors, dreams, mysteries.

In the Northern Hemisphere, Samhain marks the beginning of winter, the descent into longer nights, colder winds, and the inner work that only darkness invites. In the Southern Hemisphere, it signals the end of winter, a farewell to the season of shadows and the slow return of warmth and light. No matter where you are on the planet, Samhain always arrives in the final days of October, as a spiritual threshold between worlds. It reminds us that we are either entering or leaving the darker half of the year. It is a time of transition, of release, and of deep remembrance.

In the Americas and among Latin cultures, this portal also resonates deeply. In Mexico, there is the Día de los Muertos. In Brazil and other parts of Latin America, African diasporic traditions such as Umbanda and Candomblé revere the spirits of the dead. And across the continent, even in households without a name for it, many families light candles, display photos, say prayers, and tell stories to remember those who came before.

What unites these practices is a deep reverence for our origins. A loving listening to the roots. And a perception of time not as a straight line, but as a spiral, where the past is still alive within us.

A RITUAL TO TRY AT HOME: THE ANCESTORS’ DINNER

This Samhain, you can create a simple, beautiful, and deeply meaningful ritual. A dinner dedicated to your ancestors.

Begin by choosing a recipe with history. It could be your grandmother’s soup, a childhood dessert, or, if no family recipe comes to mind, something ancestral and earthy like a root vegetable stew with sweet potato, yam, carrot, pumpkin, and spices. These foods come from the earth and carry lots of memory. Set the table with intention. Light candles. Add dried flowers, autumn leaves, stones, family treasures, or symbolic objects that represent your lineage. Prepare an extra place at the table with a plate, glass, and cutlery. This is the place for your ancestors. You can place a photo, a note, or simply keep a candle lit to represent their presence.

Invite the people you consider to be the right ones. It can be a quiet moment alone or a dinner shared with family or friends. Make room to tell stories about those who came before. It can be a toast, a precious memory, a funny story, or even an unresolved feeling that you want to honour and release.

If you’re with friends, invite each person to share something about their own lineage. Healing can happen simply through presence and listening. It is a gentle way to honor the diverse threads that make up the collective soul. At the end of the dinner, offer thanks. Thank your ancestors for their journey, for the love and lessons passed down through generations. You can write a letter, burn a bay leaf in gratitude, or close the ritual with a song, a prayer, or a moment of silence.

I must warn you to be prepared for surprises at this dinner, such as flickering lights, furniture being moved, or even a vivid dream that same night. When we call on our ancestors, they appear with great pleasure. Samhain reminds us that death is not the end, but transformation. That the darkness of winter carries invisible seeds. And that by honoring those who came before, we also remember who we are. May this ritual strengthen your roots and illuminate your path.

Ana Leo is an astrologer and author of The Astrology Diary, 
an internationally published astrological planner. 
She has over 80,000 followers on social media and leads rituals and transformative 
experiences in Brazil and around the world, combining presence, ancestral wisdom, 
and cosmic consciousness in everything she offers. You can find her on social media: 
Instagram @analeo & youtube.com/analeo

The post SAMHAIN: a portal to honor our roots – by Ana Leo appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

If you are reading this then you are probably familiar with the festival of Mabon. As a historian by education, I am fascinated by the origins of ‘new age’ spiritual festivals and I could write reams about the history of Mabon. However, I thought I’d take this down a more spiritual path, if you have the patience to read it. After all, celebrations and rituals evolve as we do to suit our needs and bring fresh meanings where we require them. Our spiritual practices are here to support us and offer gentle guidance as we navigate our lives for the first and last time in this body. So, I think it is natural to interpret long held traditions in the light of personal realisations and modern day contexts.

The passing of time is a constant theme when I think of the Wheel of the Year. I began my life believing time moved forwards in a linear fashion. Many cultures around the world and across history have believed otherwise - that time is cyclical. The wheel is there to remind us of this, too. Winter is the death, the resting, of the natural world and Spring is the growth and rebirth. The moon’s patterns repeat this message every 28 days, the tides roll up and down, always growing and shrinking. We follow these very same cycles in our moods, our successes and failures, our mistakes and recoveries, our confidence that waxes and wanes, our desires for both radical change and reliable stability. Our identities, desires and needs are ever changing and flowing in response to the world around us. 

Sometimes, the world feels too bright, or most recently, it might feel too dark. It is important to make an effort to balance what we consume depending on how we are reacting. This is the spirit of the Equinox: Balance. For example, if you notice yourself feeling bogged down by too much bad news, spend some time chasing glimmers and small accessible joys to lift your spirits back up again. Equally, if you have been overly indulgent or hedonistic to your detriment, spend some time decompressing by simplifying your routine and setting aside some quiet, reflective time to return to a more comfortable equilibrium. 

Mabon is chiefly a time of equilibrium. It is the equinox - the day and night are of equal length. We must hold all that we are in one breath. Our shadows, our virtues, our guilt and pride. Mabon, to me, symbolises a time for acceptance. Accepting who we are as nuanced beings. The world is not black and white and neither are we. We are not heroes or villains, we are human which means in our hearts we hold both of these archetypes together. We must recognise that while we may strive to be more one thing than another, we will always be both. This is the beauty and complexity of being human. 

We might not always like the parts of us that face the darkness, but this is where Mabon sits - equally day and night, yet facing the direction of the darker days. As it is a state reflected in nature, so too can we come to view the parts within us that face the darkness as natural parts of who we are supposed to be. Instead of punishing yourself for not meeting the standards you set for yourself, now is a great time to begin working on self-compassion. Forgive yourself for your perceived flaws for they are not negative traits in a moral sense but natural parts of us.

If you have been energetic this summer, come now to rest. If you have been busy caring for others and prioritising the needs of others, allow yourself to prioritise your own needs to protect your energy and conserve some to last you through the winter. If you have been overworking, take a step back and focus on your life outside of work just as the animals are preparing their habitats for harsher weather. Slow down, breathe deeply and don’t be afraid of the darkness that lies ahead. Time will keep marching us through Autumn and Winter into Spring, so enjoy the journey and watch the leaves set alight as you do.

The post Mabon: Embrace Yourself for Darker Days Ahead appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

It’s all about marginal gains — or so they say in elite sport! Small, incremental changes that can make a big difference to how you feel and function. And when life is busy (and you’re already tired), the idea of a quick win is especially appealing. So, for all you tired women out there, here are 3 super-smart choices I’ve picked out from my new book, The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy, to help you restore your energy and vitality.

Hydration for High Energy

The simple quick win of drinking more water is often neglected. In my nutrition clinic, I regularly see women who aren’t hydrating enough - even when they know they should be. Just 2% dehydration can reduce your energy by up to 15%. That’s not a marginal gain, that’s a major difference. So how can you boost your hydration?

• Aim for 1.5–2 litres of water a day (although needs vary individually)
• Make it more appealing with sparkling water, fruit slices, or a dash of cordial
• Try a drink-tracking app if you often forget to sip during busy days
• Build habits: a glass when you wake, during meal prep, or after a bathroom break - it all adds up!

And don’t forget, water comes from food, too! Here are some examples you can add to your diet to enhance your fluid intake.

Quick guide to water content

Water Content Per 100g:

• Watermelon: 92ml
• Strawberries: 91ml
• Oranges: 88ml
• Cucumber: 96ml
• Lettuce (especially romaine and iceberg varieties): 95ml
• Celery: 95ml
• Courgette/zucchini :94ml

Protein for Power

Protein is essential for physical strength and stamina - but it also fuels your mood and mental energy. That’s because the amino acids in protein-rich foods help your body produce key neurotransmitters that support memory, motivation, and mental clarity. Many women don’t eat enough protein. It should be included at every meal.

Let’s talk animal protein: It’s not always the popular choice in today’s plant-based landscape, but it’s often more easily absorbed and can make a big difference. I regularly see women in my clinic feel stronger and more energised within a week or two of increasing their intake of animal protein. If you're not vegan and you're frequently tired or low in mood, I recommend:

• Including at least one serving of animal protein daily (e.g. meat, fish or eggs, which are more concentrated sources of protein than dairy)
• Ensuring all meals contain a source of protein — for example:
  • 2 eggs for breakfast
  • 2 tablespoons of nuts or seeds with cereal
  • At lunch and dinner, protein should make up about a quarter of your plate

And if you are vegan, it’s important to ensure your diet includes at least one complete protein every day. A complete protein contains all the essential amino acids your body needs in one convenient package. All animal proteins are complete, but only a few plant proteins are — examples include soya, hemp, quinoa, and chia seeds.

Quick guide to protein content

Food Protein per 100g:

• Turkey breast: 35g
• Beef: 30g
• Chicken breast: 30g
• Salmon: 24g
• Tuna: 24g
• Cod: 23g
• 2 eggs: 13g
• Greek style yoghurt: 6g
• Strained Greek yoghurt: 9g
• Nuts & seeds: 15-20g
• Soya: 12-15g
• Beans & lentils: 6-8g

Moderation for Maximum Vitality

We’re not always great at moderation - especially when it comes to sugar, caffeine, or alcohol - but small changes here can make a big difference to your energy. Let’s talk alcohol. It’s easy to fall into the habit of a regular evening tipple:- it feels civilised, even relaxing. But the reality? Regular drinking can seriously drain your energy.

Alcohol:

• Disrupts your sleep
• Activates the stress response
• Overloads the liver (which is vital for energy metabolism)
• Depletes essential B vitamins needed for energy production
• Dehydrates the body
• And it significantly worsens menopause symptoms

If you’re feeling tired, foggy, or jaded - and alcohol is a regular feature - this could be why. Try taking a month off. You might be amazed at the difference in your sleep, energy, and symptoms. If that feels like too much, start with four consecutive alcohol-free days a week — that "consecutive" part matters, as it gives your liver a proper break and space to do its job.

Tips to Reduce Alcohol Intake

• Set a clear goal (e.g. no alcohol Monday–Thursday) and stick to it
• Switch to alcohol-free wine, beer, or mocktails — there are excellent options now
• Replace the ritual: try kombucha, sparkling water with lime, or a fancy herbal tea
• Avoid keeping alcohol in the house - out of sight, out of mind
• Track how you feel on alcohol-free days to stay motivated
• Plan something active or nourishing for your usual “wine o’clock” (a walk, bath, or early dinner)
• Let friends know your goals - it makes social situations easier to navigate

Try one or more of these quick wins - the benefits will add up fast, and you’ll feel the difference in no time. Go for it!

The Happy Menopause Guide to Energy is out on 9th September. 
Pre-order your copy now for a chance to win a 1-hour nutrition consultation. 
Just follow the instructions here to enter. 
Follow Jackie at @wellwellwelluk. 
https://www.well-well-well.co.uk/

The post Midlife Energy Boost: 3 Quick Wins for Women Who Want to Feel Better, Fast! – By Jackie Lynch appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

Lammas (or Lughnasadh) marks a soft transition from the sun’s full strength turning the grass golden brown and blissfully long days to a languid descent into cosy jumpers and soup for lunch. For many of us, we spend August preparing for the start of the next school year, the next season of nature and maybe our lives, too. Traditionally, bread was baked as an appreciation of the summer harvests and made as offerings both to the community and the sun God, Lugh. 

Nowadays, the allure of attempting to turn your sourdough starter into a woven masterpiece inspired by The Great British Bake Off still strikes as the days cool off. It is tempting to sit by a bonfire to try to prolong the day’s warmth as the evening seeps in and we try to make the most of what’s left of summer. This is within our power in small and simple ways, as it has been noted in folk rituals for this time of year. There is a clear reason why Lughnasadh is a fire festival. Just be careful if you’re making your own fires as the ground is extremely dry and what little rain falls evaporates quickly. 

Living in the moment is a time-tested way of not only appreciating what we have while we have it, but of slowing the feeling of time passing. Turn off your screens, try something novel or simply take yourself into nature and admire the world moving around you. Most importantly, while this is a time of harvest and preparation for winter, do not wish the time away in anticipation for what is to come. There is a beautiful balance to both appreciating what you have now and preparing for what lies ahead. The media you consume might be shoving cosy autumn content down your throat but summer doesn’t just halt in its tracks. The seasons flow into one another like a stream meeting a river, which in turn gushes to the sea. 

Some people consider August to be the beginning of Autumn, while others deem it the last of the summer months. The beauty of August lies in its position straddling both seasons. While we soak up the last of the summer sun, we can use this time to prepare for worse weather like foraging berries to turn into conserves or drying herbs in the heat. As Bridget McNulty advises in her new book Daily Glimmers, we can write a list of all the things that bring us joy so that on harder days we have a resource to get us through. We can plan surprises for our future selves or simply sit back and appreciate the fruits of our labours (quite literally!). 

August is also a time for refreshing and reevaluating. We can harvest our crops, save seeds, dry herbs, cut back weeds and clean up the earth to start again in September. We can tidy our spaces, our finances, our thoughts. Kimberley Gallagher’s The Calm and Happy Home is a great place to start if you want to revamp the energy in your dwellings. 

This is a great time of year to reflect on the nature of change, how far you’ve come this year and how you want to make the most of the remaining months. Because it’s not too late to achieve your ambitions. You still have a solid 5 months left of 2025. Don’t just wish it away. Set new goals, reevaluate if your year isn’t looking how you thought it would. If you’re feeling burnt out, use this as a sign to make new promises to yourself to prioritise health and wellbeing first.

Lammas is a festival of fire and the perfect opportunity to rekindle your inner flame, fuelled by happy memories of summer. Try something new, experiment a little, feel the fear and do it anyway, make a big change, get that haircut, let your worries go into the flames. Use that energy to propel you into a new season of uncertainty with courage.

The post Lammas or Lughnasadh: making the most of this moment appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

I’m sitting in a cafe on a Friday afternoon, and a notification from my Discord app goes off. I’ve had a Swiftie group chat ever since starting my first Taylor Swift and classic literature analysis class in March of 2024 (the inception of my upcoming book Dear Reader: An Immersive Literary Journey Through Taylor Swift’s Lyrics). Swifties love yapping, so a group chat wasn’t a request, it was necessary, especially circa The Tortured Poets Department album drop. Trust, we “crazy fans” had (and continue to have) a lot of things to say.

The chat stayed popping off through Taylor’s Eras Tour, but, honestly, it’s been drier than the Sahara since its end in November. Taylor went into restful hiding (good for her), so we had nothing to say… that is until we started clowning for Reputation (Taylor’s Version) to drop at the 2025 American Music Awards. News flash: it didn’t drop, and we were left wearing our rainbow wigs and red noses in silence.

Let me circle back — you, normal person, unburdened by the curse of the Taylor Swift Easter egg, may not have the slightest clue what I mean by Reputation (Taylor’s Version). If she drops it, wouldn’t it already be her version?

The date was June 30, 2019. It was the middle of her sparkling summer — love AND Lover (her soon-to-be 7th studio album) filled the air — and Taylor had just woken up, when she found out (with the rest of the world) that not only did she not own the first six albums she had written, recorded, and poured her blood, sweat and glitter into, but also that her longtime manager, an evil villain by the name of Scott Borchetta, had SOLD her music to Taylor’s arch nemesis (besides Kanye), Scooter Braun!

No warning. Just a 9:05 p.m. text the night before, sent as a smug mirror of the one Taylor had sent when leaving Big Machine. The next morning, it was plastered across The Wall Street Journal: Scooter Braun and his private equity partners had bought Big Machine Records — including Taylor’s master recordings — for a reported $300 million. Her life’s work, gone in a headline.

What proceeded was the vengeful work of a woman scorned. And not just any woman — a billionaire, record-breaking, sparkle-eyed Sagittarius who had receipts and a fanbase with a vengeance of its own. Instead of slinking away and letting the suits pass around her work like a business deal, Taylor came up with a plan (with a nudge from Kelly Clarkson, no less): she was going to re-record all six albums and prove that her fans weren’t just loyal to the songs — we were loyal to her.

Thus, Taylor’s Version was born! Between her new albums and the re-recordings, Taylor spent the next six years pumping out music like Alexander Hamilton writing the Reynolds Pamphlet. From 2019 to 2025, she released nine (NINE!!!!) albums — two of which had 30+ songs on them. And the fans showed up. We stopped streaming the original versions (dubbed “stolen versions”) of Taylor’s albums and waited patiently for her versions to drop — in order: Fearless, Red, Speak Now and 1989. Each one came with vault tracks, or songs from the original era that didn’t make the first cut but were all masterpieces.

It’s hard to put into words just how exciting each re-recording announcement was, or how magical it felt to hear new-old Taylor songs for the first time. But she was right — our loyalty wasn’t just to the music. It was to her. To the girl who’d been kept in the dark about the fate of her work. To the woman who turned injustice into art, and made us feel like we were part of the story.

Let’s hop timelines back to the cafe and talk about the Discord notification. The chances that it was a message announcing one — if not both — of Taylor’s final re-records (Debut and Reputation) were low, but never zero. So when I saw the message that said, “Did you see the letter,” I immediately fumbled with my phone like a cartoon character trying to get to her website.

And there it was — a message straight from Taylor to us: she bought back her masters.

Was I a little sad it wasn’t a re-recording announcement? Yeah. But as a fan of Taylor, her happiness, and the downfall of evil men, I was thrilled. Her plan worked. By streaming and screaming and crying at the Eras Tour and buying all 15 physical variants of 1989 (Taylor’s Version), we helped make it happen.

“All I’ve ever wanted was the opportunity to work hard enough to be able to one day purchase my music outright with no strings attached”, she wrote. And now, she has. Taylor owns her music. I can’t help but think about how poetic it is that she’s choosing to share it all with us.

I find it incredibly fitting that the last song Taylor released before getting her masters back was called “The Manuscript”. In literature, a manuscript is an early draft.

The song reads like a diary entry about a past relationship, but it also feels like a metaphor for her work. Over the years, Taylor has returned to earlier themes, lyrics, and eras — not to relive them, but to revise them and re-record them, to add new layers of meaning, the same way an author might build on an old manuscript. She’s layered new meaning onto old material, turning what was once hers alone into something we all share (for example, recognizing the same piano medley from “champagne problems” later in “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus”).

That’s why the final lyric of the song — “Now and then I reread the manuscript, but the story isn’t mine anymore” — hits so hard. Because the irony is, now that she finally owns her life’s work, she’s giving it away again. Only this time it’s on her terms.

When I started teaching and writing about Taylor Swift, I wasn’t just interested in the liner-note Easter eggs or the fan theories (though I absolutely love both). I wanted to explore what her songs mean, how they borrow from classic literature, reflect cultural shifts and tell us something about power, identity and being a woman in the world. Just like the greatest writers before her — Shakespeare, Brontë, Shelley and beyond — Taylor uses language to tell stories that stick with us.

And now that Taylor owns her work, we can honor what she’s reclaimed by reading it the way it deserves to be read: closely, curiously and with care. By treating her lyrics like literature and finding ourselves in her words — the same way we do with the canon.

That’s exactly what I set out to do in Dear Reader: An Immersive Literary Journey Through Taylor Swift’s Lyrics, out September 9, 2025.

The post Taylor Swift took back her music so you could own it, too – By Viktoria Capek appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

Soon, the sun will reach its peak on the longest day of the year. Celebrated famously by new age spiritualists at Stonehenge, but also by diverse cultures across the globe. The summer solstice is known for bringing people outdoors to bask in the light. That’s exactly what we ought to do at this time of year. It can be hard to feel grateful for the good in the world when there is so much going wrong. It’s not about pretending the night won’t ever come, but appreciating that on this day the sun is more powerful than the void. The light is what keeps us going. It represents hope, the transformative power of change, the strength community brings us and the peace we can achieve by living in the moment. 

I’m going to take you back in time. Not to the ancient past, but to the early 1980s. The Stonehenge Free Festival was a large-scale, multi-day gathering occurring each year in June from 1974 onwards. Reminiscent of today’s music festivals, there was a variety of music, community events and anti-establishment sentiment. Picture a flowing rainbow of colourful clothing, braided outgrown hair and the iconic standing stones reaching long shadows across the meadows of Wiltshire. The climax of the festival each year was the summer solstice - a communal celebration of life and light, of creativity, freedom, expression and love.

Sounds like a dream for those of us in isolated spiritual communities, still searching for where we belong. So why doesn’t the Stonehenge Free Festival still take place? It occurred at a time before the barriers were put up around the great monument. It caused more restrictions to be put in place to protect the archaeological value of those fields. You see, in 1984, reports circulated of festivalgoers using neolithic burial pits as bread ovens and bathrooms. The litter and soil damage from the tyres of vehicles cost upwards of £20,000, not to mention disruption to local farmers and the priceless archaeological artefacts possibly destroyed in the process. All this damage in the wake of what should have been a free, open celebration of light and spirit led to a violent police suppression of the festival in 1985. This celebration of summer was sadly clouded by the behaviour of its participants.

Hereafter, access to Stonehenge has been increasingly restricted. The festival was dispersed in 1985 and was never re-established due to the police brutality and hundreds of arrests that occurred which became known as the Battle of Beanfield. Similar free festivals were also dissolved during the 1970s and 80s. In my lifetime, I have never known Stonehenge to not have at least a barrier of rope around it preventing anyone from getting within touching distance of the stones.

The first fence was put up in 1977 to prevent worshippers from touching or climbing the stones and to protect the site’s integrity. These actions are necessary for preserving the stones for future generations. This point is validated by the Just Stop Oil protestors spraying orange powder on the monument in 2024, breaking headlines globally and sparking fears of permanent damage to the stones and local ecosystem. It is clear that protection is absolutely needed if we want to keep being able to celebrate this iconic structure for years to come.  

I find this a sad truth. I yearn for an experience I have never had - the opportunity to go up to the stones and touch them, to connect to the ground and bask in the shadows of such a valuable part of our national and spiritual identity. While I have my spiritual desires, I acknowledge that these restrictions are time and time again proved necessary by the thoughtlessness and negligence of the few, and therefore must be given priority. And so I appeal to everyone reading this - if we want to maintain our rights to the monuments we currently enjoy - to get close to them, to celebrate our festivals like Litha in the way we so desire, we must conduct ourselves with decorum and respect for our surroundings. Clean up your litter, follow fire safety rules, keep noise pollution to an acceptable level and do your best not to damage crops or vegetation. This will not only help annual celebrations become more widely accepted but aids other related movements too like the Right to Roam campaign which calls for wider freedoms for people to access common land and public footpaths. Especially in this current era where we are experiencing a resurgence of conservative values socially and politically, it's important to be grateful for our freedom of expression and exercise it with joy.

We should all be respectful in our celebrations so that we can keep the access to spiritual places we currently enjoy. We should also never stop fighting for our right to mark these festivals and express our spirituality in ways that feel rewarding and connecting. Each blog, zine, song, artwork, poem and repost demonstrates the strength of spirit we have. Each and every person who reads our books is part of that global community of support. We have the power to forge new, respectful and inclusive traditions which honour and are informed by the past. So this year, use the sun’s great power to charge your energy and use it for positivity. Bask in the light and the freedom we enjoy.

The post Celebrating the Summer Solstice, Stonehenge and the Right to Spiritual Expression appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

Beltane, the 1st of May (31st October/1st November in the Southern hemisphere) is a cross-quarter day: The midpoint, where we sit equally between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, on our journey through the wheel of the year. A celebration rooted in Celtic traditions.

The name Beltane means ‘bright fire’ and marks the beginning of summer by celebrating the sun god Bel. Traditionally, big bonfires were lit and herdsmen would walk their animals through the smoke to bring protection for their livestock. Once the bonfires were smothered, the embers were then brought home and placed in the hearths, to encourage growth and protection of the household over the coming months. The festival was the first chance to have a big community gathering after the long and harsh winter months. With the warmer weather, gatherings were able to be taken outside and grow in size. It was a chance to throw off the winter slumber and stagnant energy together, and look forward to the more lively months ahead.

Today, Beltane celebrations look a little different but the same themes of growth, fertility and celebration remain the same. In modern day celebrations, people can be seen to be May pole dancing, which involves the playful weaving of brightly coloured ribbons by dancing around a central pole. This is believed to symbolise the weaving together of masculine and feminine energies; a nod to the fertile energy all around. Big feasts are another favourite - to gather your friends outside and feast, sharing tales and celebrating the big and small wins in life. Bonfires are still a firm favourite too providing a chance to burn away the old, warm up our souls and bodies, ready for the fluidity of the summer energies ahead.

The themes found in this festival are closely linked to our sacral chakra, Svadhishthana. This is one of the main energy wheels found in our body, located just below the navel, associated with bright orange and the element of water. This chakra is all about our creativity, sensuality and emotions - the life force behind our growth and connection with others. Like Beltane, Svadhishthana is all about new beginnings and bringing that fertile energy into our lives for new things to grow. When this chakra is out of balance we can feel a lack of vitality (like winter is lingering on), disconnect from our emotions, and feel creatively blocked. If this sounds familiar, perhaps we can channel Beltane’s fiery energy to shift what is stagnant and return mind and body to this chakra’s water element of freedom.

To bring more fluidity to our sacral chakras, we can dance around with loved ones or in the privacy of our own homes. Listen to music and really connect to the rhythm of the beats. See how your body wants to respond to the tune. As this is our hub of creativity, trying a new creative hobby can help bring in a sense of freedom and move the creativity block aside. By trying a new avenue of creativity, we can use the beginners mindset to go easier on ourselves and find that sense of enjoyment again. Why not give a paint-by-numbers a go, try out that new complex recipe or write the short story you have been wanting to see come to life? Immerse yourself in water. This can be a cold sea plunge, a swim in your local pool or a relaxing bath at home. Connect to the element of water and notice how it peaks and troughs between calm and energetic movement, before each time returning to a soft state of flow. What can you learn about yourself as you observe the water's movements? How can the ebb and flow of our emotions be inspired by this?

Perhaps journaling is a ritual that can be of support to you at this time, to harness the natural abundance of Beltane. Some prompts to use as a starting point can be:
- What fuels my inner fire and why?
- How can I allow myself to flow more freely in my authentic self?
- Am I allowing myself to explore, play and experiment?

With summer now underway, take a look at the energy you want to encourage to grow in your life, what do you want to water and nurture? How can you become more fluid in your mind, body and soul connections, and what can the bright fire of Beltane ignite in your life? This is a time to reconnect and reclaim your visions and authentic energies, think about what lights up your soul, and what brings energy to your roots.

This blog post was written by Grace Cummins, Digital Communications Assistant at Kindred Spirit
and a hatha yoga teacher with a passion for holistic healing modalities.

The post Beltane and our Sacral Chakra appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is one of the most common gastrointestinal disorders, affecting approximately 10–20% of people worldwide, with a higher prevalence in women — nearly 70% of diagnosed individuals are female.

IBS is associated with a combination of abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea and/or constipation, but also extends far beyond the gut. People with IBS often report:

• Persistent fatigue
• Sleep disturbances
• Anxiety and depression
• Difficulty with concentration ("brain fog")
• Disrupted social and work life

Although IBS is classed as a functional disorder (no structural damage or visible disease), its effects on quality of life can be profound — impacting relationships, confidence, eating behaviours and overall wellbeing (1,2)

The good news? While there’s no one-size-fits-all cure, diet and lifestyle have been shown to significantly reduce symptoms and help many people regain control.

The 5R Framework: A Roadmap to Gut Reset

From the Five Weeks to Gut Health programme, taking a personalised approach can help identify underlying triggers and restore balance. This is based on the Institute of Functional Medicine approach which aligns with research suggesting that IBS symptoms are often multifactorial — involving dysbiosis, gut permeability, food sensitivities, and visceral hypersensitivity [3].

• Remove: Eliminate triggers (e.g., FODMAPs, alcohol, irritants, histamine rich foods)
• Replace: Support digestion where needed with enzymes, acid, or bile support and consider any nutrient deficiencies
• Repopulate: Introduce probiotics and fermented foods
• Repair: Use nutrients and foods that support the gut barrier and lower inflammation
• Rebalance: Improve stress management, sleep, and movement

Fibre and Fermentability: Getting the Balance Right

We have probably all heard that fibre is essential for gut health — but not all fibre is equal when it comes to IBS.

• Soluble fibres (e.g., oats, flaxseed, chia, psyllium) help form soft stools and nourish the microbiota. They are generally better tolerated and associated with reduced bloating and improved motility [4].
• Insoluble fibres (e.g., wheat bran) can worsen symptoms in some, particularly those with IBS-C (constipation-predominant IBS).

In one clinical trial, consumption of 2–3 kiwifruit per day significantly increased bowel movements and reduced IBS symptoms [5].

FODMAPs: Short-Term Tool, Not a Long-Term Fix

The low FODMAP diet, developed by Monash University, is a well-established first-line intervention for IBS. FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols) are short-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed and readily fermented, causing gas and osmotic symptoms .

While effective, long-term restriction is not advisable, as it can negatively impact microbial diversity — particularly reducing Bifidobacteria species. Reintroduction under guidance is essential for maintaining a healthy, diverse microbiome.

Polyphenols: Anti-Inflammatory and Microbiota-Modulating

Polyphenols are plant-based compounds with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory effects. Importantly, they:

• Stimulate growth of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium
• Suppress harmful pathogens
• Support short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production

A recent meta-analysis found that polyphenol supplementation increased Lactobacillus by 220% and Bifidobacterium by 56%, significantly improving gut microbial balance

Sources of ellagic acid, a key polyphenol shown to reduce IBS symptoms and inflammatory markers (e.g. CRP, IL-6), include blackberries, raspberries, pomegranate, and walnuts.

Probiotics and Fermented Foods

Probiotic foods (e.g., kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, live yogurt) introduce beneficial strains and bioactive metabolites that support microbial balance and reduce gut inflammation. Clinical trials show that fermented foods (6)

• Increase microbiota diversity
• Improve symptoms like bloating, pain, and stool regularity
• Modulate inflammatory markers

Interestingly, a study comparing pasteurised and unpasteurised sauerkraut showed symptom improvements and beneficial microbiota shifts in both groups — though the unpasteurised group gained more spp such as Lactobacillus plantarum (7)

What to Reduce or Remove

IBS patients may benefit from reducing or a trial elimination of certain foods. Examples of these include:

Five weeks to gut health emphasises avoiding restrictive diets and looking to support a diverse microbiome for long term health

Addressing the Gut–Brain Axis

The enteric nervous system (“second brain”) communicates bidirectionally with the central nervous system (10). Stress, anxiety, and poor sleep can exacerbate gut sensitivity and motility issues. Interventions such as breathwork, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), mindfulness, yoga, and exercise have demonstrated positive outcomes for IBS management.

Nourishing your Gut long term

IBS can feel overwhelming — unpredictable symptoms, food fears, and the emotional toll it takes are all very real. With the right strategies, personalised support, and a focus on nourishment and dietary diversity rather than restriction, it is possible to take back control of your gut health.

Whether you're starting small with simple dietary changes or ready to explore a more structured gut-healing plan, five weeks to gut health provides you with the tools,  recipes and meal plans to get you started.

If you want to know more about how you can support a healthy gut, including delicious recipes 
and meal plans, Five Weeks to Gut Health is the book you need. Order yours today!

References

1. Canavan C, West J, Card T. Review article: the economic impact of the irritable bowel syndrome. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2014 Nov;40(9):1023-34. doi: 10.1111/apt.12938. Epub 2014 Sep 9. PMID: 25199904.
2. Black, Christopher J et al. Functional gastrointestinal disorders: advances in understanding and management The Lancet, Volume 396, Issue 10263, 1664 - 1674
3. Holtmann GJ, Ford AC, Talley NJ. Pathophysiology of irritable bowel syndrome. Lancet Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2016 Oct;1(2):133-146. doi: 10.1016/S2468-1253(16)30023-1. Epub 2016 Sep 8. PMID: 28404070.
4. Eswaran S, Muir J, Chey WD. Fiber and functional gastrointestinal disorders. Am J Gastroenterol. 2013 May;108(5):718-27. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2013.63. Epub 2013 Apr 2. PMID: 23545709.
5. Gearry R, Fukudo S, Barbara G, Kuhn-Sherlock B, Ansell J, Blatchford P, Eady S, Wallace A, Butts C, Cremon C, Barbaro MR, Pagano I, Okawa Y, Muratubaki T, Okamoto T, Fuda M, Endo Y, Kano M, Kanazawa M, Nakaya N, Nakaya K, Drummond L. Consumption of 2 Green Kiwifruits Daily Improves Constipation and Abdominal Comfort-Results of an International Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Gastroenterol. 2023 Jun 1;118(6):1058-1068. doi: 10.14309/ajg.0000000000002124. Epub 2022 Dec 20. PMID: 36537785; PMCID: PMC10226473.
6. Kim, Hee-Young et al. Kimchi improves irritable bowel syndrome: results of a randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled study Food & Nutrition Research 66. DO  - 10.29219/fnr.v66.8268
7. Nielsen, E. S., Garnås, E., Jensen, K. J., Hansen, L. H., Olsen, P. S., Ritz, C., Krych, L., & Nielsen, D. S. (2018). Lacto-fermented sauerkraut improves symptoms in IBS patients independent of product pasteurisation - a pilot study. Food & Function, 9(10), 5323-5335. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8fo00968f
8. Mendoza-Martínez, V.M.; Zavala-Solares, M.R.; Espinosa-Flores, A.J.; León-Barrera, K.L.; Alcántara-Suárez, R.; Carrillo-Ruíz, J.D.; Escobedo, G.; Roldan-Valadez, E.; Esquivel-Velázquez, M.; Meléndez-Mier, G.; et al. Is a Non-Caloric Sweetener-Free Diet Good to Treat Functional Gastrointestinal Disorder Symptoms? A Randomized Controlled Trial. Nutrients2022, 14, 1095. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14051095
9. Fabisiak A, Włodarczyk J, Fabisiak N, Storr M, Fichna J. Targeting Histamine Receptors in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Critical Appraisal. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2017 Jul 30;23(3):341-348. doi: 10.5056/jnm16203. PMID: 28551943; PMCID: PMC5503283.
10. Chen et al Neurotransmitter and Intestinal Interactions: Focus on the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Irritable Bowel Syndrome Front. Endocrinol., 16 February 2022 Sec. Gut Endocrinology Volume 13 - 2022 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.817100.

The post From Bloat to Balance: The Five-Week Gut Reset for IBS Relief appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

The solar festival of Ostara celebrates the Spring Equinox, the time of year when night and day are equal. This moment marks a turning point in the seasons and is most certainly cause for celebration: for the next six months, the light of day will prevail over the darkness of night – bringing warmth, renewal and regeneration to an Earth previously frozen in winter’s cold grasp. 

According to 19th-century German folklorist and linguist Jacob Grimm, the name Ostara derives from the Germanic goddess of spring-like fertility, Eostre, believed to have been worshipped by Anglo-Saxon and Northern European pagans. Though some scholars have contested the deity’s existence and ancient worship as a fabrication of the 8th-century English scholar Bede, others have nevertheless posited that such a figure may have been venerated as a localised deity associated with new beginnings and the awakening of nature (noting the linguistic connections of Ostara/Eostre to the eastern sky, dawn and other Proto-Indo-European goddesses – such as the Greek Eos, Vedic Ushas, or Baltic Aušrinė). Regardless of her historical origins, Ostara’s association with the coming of Spring has left her a venerated figure in various modern folkloric traditions and pagan groups throughout Europe.

While the equinox has been marked for centuries by pre-Christian people worldwide, the relatively modern festival of Ostara pulls together diasporic folk and pagan traditions that share much symbolism with the Christian holiday of Easter, which in turn finds its origins in the Jewish Passover. However, while Ostara and Easter share a common linguistic etymology in the English language and use similar iconography – such as the sunrise, eggs & chicks, rabbits and flower blossoms – to celebrate ideas of rebirth, renewal and regeneration, it is inaccurate to conflate the two traditions. Even so, this mirrored history makes Ostara no less valuable to those wishing to reunite with nature; in this time of folk renaissance, many want to shed our urban chains and reconnect with nature like our ancestors before us. Perhaps it is a sign that natural symbols prevail over all cultures as universally relevant and worth rejoicing.

Living in tune with the seasons is valuable for our mental and physical health and fosters a sense of community. Take a moment to look around you. Go on a little walk in your neighbourhood. Notice the grass growing. Notice the buds on the trees, tiny green leaves ready to unfold, blossoms preceding the return of greenery. Smell the apple and cherry blossoms, listen to the birds chirping. In all its beauty, the natural world is brimming with life, ready to burst into celebration at the arrival of warmer weather. 

When we come together to celebrate the arrival of brighter days, we are reminded of the power of the collective. That we can find comfort in one another and that the world keeps on turning, no matter how bleak things feel. This time of year is a reminder that it sometimes feels darkest before the dawn. New generations bring new hope and ideas while connecting to the traditions of the past. While we need darkness to make us appreciate the light, if you feel like you are in a dark place right now, Ostara is your reminder that the sun will rise again and overcome the darkness enveloping you. 

If you sense a new energy within yourself, use it for good. Dedicate time to improving yourself or giving to those in need, even if you can only give your time. Open your windows and take in a deep, filling breath. What does the coming of Spring mean to you? 

This blog was written by Hayley Moss and Ry Gifford.

The post Ostara – Chasing Away the Darkness appeared first on Watkins Publishing.

Together, Jan Cisek and Susan Norman have produced Speed Reading Faster – Maximize Your Success in Business and Study – a book which leads you to use the various techniques on the book itself. You learn to speed read faster by speed reading the book itself. Why ‘speed read faster’ rather than just ‘speed read’? Because speed reading, technically (and according to many books and courses), is just reading faster. But in this book Jan and Susan offer many different individual techniques (previewing, setting a purpose, opening your peripheral vision, using patterns to find hotspots of key information, and more).

They have spent many years running courses together, successfully teaching thousands of people to speed read their way to increased success in their studies, their personal development and their business endeavours.

But it didn’t happen overnight.

How it started
Jan started the whole thing when he went on a (very expensive) course in the US to become an instructor in Photoreading (an American branded version of speed reading). Which he did. He was the first registered instructor in the UK. And Susan was a participant on one of his first courses.

Susan:
“I was already a good reader, but always keen to learn new skills, and I went home from Jan’s course inspired to follow the instructions (do one exercise a day for 22 days to build the habit). I lasted about three days, didn’t see any great improvement and then it went on hold. About three months later, I started feeling annoyed with myself. I’d paid the money, I was already an intelligent reader, why couldn’t I master this thing? So I picked up a book I needed to read, followed all the instructions I could remember, and something clicked. I could do it. Something had clearly been percolating in my brain in the background and all became clear. It wasn’t rocket science, it was just reading to get the information I needed. But it did feel a bit like magic.”

Jan:
“Susan and her husband Hugh were the Directors of SEAL (the Society for Effective Affective Learning) and we’d all met on one of the amazing conferences they organised on leading edge learning in 1999. We all became friends, and when I went round to their rabbit-warren of a home, I was very impressed with the huge number of books they had. I immediately rented a flat from them and stayed long enough to speed reading them all. Then I moved to Barbados.

“After a year I’d read everything on the island and had dengue fever (I don’t recommend it), so came back to the UK and stayed (‘just for five days’) with Susan and Hugh. Susan was already an established author (at the time of writing now she’s had more than 50 books published – mainly on learning and teaching English to non-English speakers) and a world expert in accelerated learning, so I asked her if we could write together the definitive book on some version of speed reading. She said it would probably take longer than five days, but was quite keen.”

Susan:
“For me, writing a book about something is my way of consolidating my own learning. As part of the process of writing, Jan and I started running speed reading courses together, and after each course, we’d evaluate who’d picked up everything quickly, and (crucially) why other people had found it more of a struggle. What could we do differently to make the learning process easier for everyone? In 2010 we produced our first book together (The Speed Reading Bible) which has been translated into five European languages. We used it as the workbook for our courses – but continued to note ways in which we could help people learn more easily.”

Essential reading technique
One thing we realised was that some of the people who came on courses were not confident readers. Some of them actively hated reading. One judged books on how big (thick) they were – he wouldn’t read big books. When we talked to these people, we realised that many had missed an essential part of ‘learning to read’ in the first place. In school, they had been taught letters and sounds and how to build and decipher words. But after that they’d been left to work out the second stage for themselves: how to derive meaning from what they were reading. They were still reading one-word-at-a-time-which-is very-slow-and-boring-so-your-brain-switches-off-and- you-lose-concentration-and-get-to-the-end-of-a-page-and-realise-you-don’t-know-what-you’ve-read. The answer … is to look forwards … and read words … in meaningful groups. This is not a speed reading technique, it’s a basic reading skill, but it can make a huge difference to some people in their ability to understand what they’re reading – and we include it in the book because it makes everything else easier if you can do it.

We’re confident that after a quarter of a century, our new book, Speed Reading Faster, is as good as we can make it.

How we’re using Speed Reading now
These days Susan reads a lot of novels for pleasure (at ‘normal speed’, two or three a week), and speed reads as many as she needs to get information for the next book she’s writing. Jan is finding his speed reading skills invaluable for dealing with the sheer volume of academic research as he works towards his PhD.

This blog was written by Jan Cisek and Susan Norman. Their book Speed Reading Faster – Maximize Your Success in Business and Study is available to pre-order now.

The post What You Can Learn From Speed Reading appeared first on Watkins Publishing.